Data visualization techniques and conditional formatting of data enable users to scan and quickly comprehend large quantities of information. Such techniques may also aid in alerting users to anomalies and other data of interest. Visualization tools can include charts, graphs, and reports that collect, summarize, and/or otherwise transform data into meaningful shapes, colors, and patterns. Closer to the source, data visualization has also included the use of conditional formatting in user interfaces, such as spreadsheets, which frequently serve as receptacles of raw data.
Conditional formatting enables users to modify the look of data in place, for example, in a cell by changing the appearance of the cell based on the content of the cell (or some other determining condition). FIG. 1 depicts a prior art range of cells 100 that is typically present in a user interface, the cells of which are conditionally formatted. Here, cell A1 provides an example of the default or unformatted version of a cell. Cell A2 provides an example of a first conditionally formatted cell, and cell A4 provides an example of a second conditionally formatted cell. Cells A2 and A4 received new formatting automatically based on a condition associated with the cells.
FIG. 2 depicts a prior art dialog 200 where formats conditioned upon values being within certain ranges are selected. The two conditions supplied here (and applied to the range of cells 100) format cells in a particular fashion when the value contained within each is evaluated as being between a certain range (10 and 20 for condition 1, 15 and 30 for condition 2). The conditions utilized in conditional formats are limited to two possible Boolean outputs—TRUE or FALSE. If the condition supplied evaluates to TRUE, then the format is applied. If the condition supplied evaluates to FALSE, then the format is not applied.
Dialog 200 demonstrates that, while useful, conditional formatting can be limiting as to certain available formats (e.g., font, cell color, borders). Furthermore, a given range of cells is provided a maximum of three conditional formats that can be applied, each providing no more than one possible format when evaluating to TRUE. Still further, once a condition for a cell is evaluated to TRUE, no additional conditions for that cell are evaluated and thus, no additional formatting is applied to the cell.